Friday, November 18, 2011

Harvard Kennedy School Program Aims to Propel Students from Harvard to the Oval Office

November 16, 2011
By Jenny Li Fowler, HKS

Serving as an elected official can feel a bit like a rugby match at
times, but getting elected in the first place can be a totally different
ball game altogether, and it’s one game that few women are playing.
According to the National Foundation for Women Legislators, women
currently hold just 89 of the 535 seats in the United States Congress.
The Harvard Kennedy School’s (HKS) Women and Public Policy Program
(WAPPP) is working to increase that number.

WAPPP is home to a non-partisan initiative that arms women with the
knowledge and tools to run for elected office. “From Harvard Square to
the Oval Office: A Political Campaign Practicum,” recently welcomed its
newest class, or “cohort,” of 50 women for the 2011-12 academic year.

Oval Office Cohort 2012

The Oval Office program is designed to teach students to run for office
through hands-on training, by growing their professional and personal
networks, and connecting them with women leaders who have shattered the
glass ceiling in the public sector.

"We need more women in office for two reasons, first to effectively
legislate and govern in a way that meets the needs of women and secondly
we must fully utilize the talent of all our citizenry in order to
effectively meet the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century,"
said Victoria A. Budson, WAPPP executive director and founder and chair of the Oval Office Program.

Molly Huazhen MPP 2013 hopes the program will serve as a launching pad for her career.

“I hope through the program I will be able to gain critical skills to
rise in the public sector,” Hauzhen says. “I also hope to build a
network with our amazing alumni and cohort-mates.”

Lori Ehrlich MC/MPA 2005, is currentlyserving her third term as a Massachusettsstate representative.Photo Credit: Martha Stewart

The program has already experienced success. Several graduates of the program have gone on to win elections, including Lori Ehrlich MC/MPA 2005, who is currently serving her third term as a Massachusetts state representative.

“In my rear view mirror, I appreciate it all the more. Women make great
role models and as they blaze trails in politics they illuminate the
path for others. The work is hard, hours are long and the results are
not always apparent. This program serves as a toolkit – a reservoir of
camaraderie,” said Ehrlich.

The new crop of participants has already had an opportunity to listen to Ehrlich and others speak and share their experiences.

“Their personal stories are very inspiring,” said Huazhen. “A speaker
shared how rewarding her government career is despite all the challenges
she had met. It is this sense of fulfillment that clicks with me as
well.”

Past speakers at Oval Office program events include U.S. Senator Hillary
Clinton (D-NY), U.S. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA 8th),
Congresswoman Anne Northup (R-KY 3rd), and former Governor Christie Todd
Whitman (R-NJ). Participating students may apply for financial support for a summer internship, giving them the chance to utilize acquired skills in a real-world political setting.

The Oval Office program application process is open to all Harvard
graduate students, including international students. Upon completion of
the programmatic components of the initiative, students are encouraged
to remain active in the Oval Office network. Ultimately, the program’s
goal is to fill the political pipeline with women, striving towards
equal representation in government.
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